REQUIEM II: Renascimento
by Kazie Solo
Summary: AU - Videl's relationship with Gohan was perfect, until SHE came along. Not only that, SHE brought the greatest evil the Z-Senshi have ever faced with her. But who is SHE? And to add to the mysteries, what is the deal with Videl's past? *Chapter 4 Up!*
1. Prologue

For those of you who already read the original version, this revised version isn't very much different from it. So it's up to you if you'll read this again or not. As for those who just came across this fic, please give this one a chance. I know that some of you don't like having original characters around, or perhaps, alternate universes, but _please_ _give this fic a chance_.

**DRAGONBALL Z: RENASCIMENTO****  
****_Rebirth of the Future's Only Hope_**  
by Kaz Valkyrie

**Prologue:** _Sabrea, 758 AD_

  
"Unidentified starfighter, this is General Ivanov of the Sabrean Air Force. Transmit your identification code immediately, or be denied entrance to our planet. I repeat, unidentified starfighter, this is General Ivanov of the Sab---"

A muffled transmission from the mysterious vessel echoed in the control room of the Sabrean docking bay. "Sonia?" a voice asked, a voice that was a mixture of shyness, anxiety, excitement, relief and fear --- all at the same time. 

"L-Lorelai? Y-you're back!" Sonia Ivanov's once monotonous voice was now full of emotion, and the intensity of her joy was evident as her transmission was heard inside the cockpit of the starfighter _Kuei_. However, the tone of her voice dropped. "But alas, I cannot open the planetary shield without your identification code. Callista's rules. Forgive me."

"Transmitting identification code now," Lorelai Anacreon blurted out as she keyed in her code. Once she finished, she could not help smiling as she said, "That's alright, Sonia. It's no bother."

After a few moments, Sonia's overjoyed voice exploded through the shuttle's speakers. "You're cleared, _Kuei_! Welcome back to Sabrea, Lorelai! Please proceed to the fourth docking bay, Callista will meet you there."

"Thanks."

"Be careful in landing, so much has changed for the past two years you've been away. Callista did a lot of restructuring, she nearly turned Sabrea upside-down. She said Sabrea was in a much too primitive state," the general narrated, ending it with a short laugh.

"Looks pretty good to me. Earth is far more primitive than the Sabrea two years ago," Lorelai replied, looking at the city lights that made the surface of Sabrea look like a glittering diamond. Starfighters, freighters and mini-transports moved about the velvet Sabrean sky like fireflies in the dark night.

"I missed you, Lorelai," Sonia said going informal --- when she wasn't supposed to. But she just could not hold her emotions back. After how many years, her best friend was finally back, and she, truly missed her. "You've been away far too long."

Lorelai, sister of Callista --- who currently stood as the empress of Sabrea --- forced back sudden tears. "I missed you too, Sonia. You just don't know how much I missed you. See you below."

Sabrea was a world far too advanced than any other planet in the Outer Regions --- but in their progress the Sabreurs sacrificed the beauty of their once green and lush world. Their planet faced much danger not only because of its probable collision with the three moons that orbit it, or the chance of being swallowed by its own sun after a few decades, but also because of the deterioration of the planet from the inside, deep down the core.

Despite of the constant threat of nature on the small planet, the Sabreurs continued to live the lives they have always had. Lives guided by Sabrean tradition, ancient practices and cultural beliefs. But they were not to be underestimated. Despite their use of ancient --- yet standard --- weapons, the Sabreurs remained powerful. Armed with magic, skill, reliable weapons and technology --- the Sabreurs were a race to fear. 

They were said to be even more powerful than the famous Saiyajins, though the theory has yet to be proven. Myths contained in history books stated that the Sabreurs and Saiyajins originated from one mother race, and that the two races were linked in more ways than one.

Lorelai walked calmly and briskly through the halls of the royal palace, two sets of guards flanked beside her. However, it was evident in the soldiers' faces that her return brought everyone great joy. Many loved Lorelai, for she was a woman one-of-a-kind. She was firm with her principles, unbiased with her judgments, analytical in her thoughts and certain with her decisions. She was also quite a beauty, and a tough warrior to boot --- powerful in magic, skilled with her saber and knowledgeable in technology.

"Lorelai!"

Lorelai's face brightened as she saw her younger sister Callista emerge from the throne room and run towards her. Callista had a face much like Lorelai's own. Her long orange-blond hair matched the shade of her light blue eyes, and she stood in a stance so honorable, so dignified.

"Great restructuring job, I must say," Lorelai commented as she pulled away from her sister's embrace. When she said that, however, she could not help give Callista a grin full of sarcasm.

"Don't mock me, Lorelai."

Lorelai laughed. Nothing had changed between them. She was still the elder sister who loved to mock her little sister. Callista was still the little sister who hated to get mocked by her elder sister. Even after many years, things remained the same. "Oh come one, I mean it! You've transformed Sabrea into the technological heart of the Outer Regions! You turned Sabrea into the most progressive planet yet!"

Callista could not supress her proud smile, especially with the tiara on her head. However, her expression changed noticeably as she resumed speaking. "Tomorrow. Tomorrow, you shall be the empress," she said, a hint of jealousy in her voice, which she vainly tried to replace with a concerned expression. "It's a hard life, Lorelai. Harder than what you've ever experienced. I just... hope you'll get past all the odds."

Thick fog embraced the massive structure in the northern continent of Sabrea --- the royal palace. Lorelai stood by the balcony of her private quarters, nostalgic despite of being in her homeplanet. She gazed at the sky thoughtfully, as if searching for a certain bright spot, searching for a bright aura of a planet she had grown to love.

_Earth_.

The princess sighed as she remembered everything that happened to her. She was sent to Earth to accomplish a certain mission, which was actually a test she had to pass in order to become the empress of her planet. It was long and hard journey, but she found friends along the way. Friends that helped her all throughout her mission, through thick and thin. One of them was a brave and dashing human named Victor Vanbrugh. And of all her friends, he was the one she could never forget.

If there was anything she learned on Earth that she valued the most at the moment, it was love. She could not understand how it worked, but it seemed to be the foundation of the planet itself.

_Strange customs those humans have. They're all open to change, all open to new things. Even with those changes taking place in their world, they still manage to live together harmoniously. Why can't Sabrea be like Earth? Why can't my fellowmen just live the way humans do?_ she said to herself with a sigh. _I guess some things will stay as they are. Some things will just---_

She stopped as she was alerted by a sudden presence behind her. She immediately spun around to see who or what it was, but her startled expression turned into one full of happiness. "Oh Sonia," she exclaimed, rushing towards her best friend to encase her in a hug. 

Sonia returned the embrace with tears in her eyes. "I'm just glad to have you back, my Empress."

The future empress let go, and with her a look of utter seriousness, she took up a sharp salute. "The pleasure is mine, Admiral."

The huge grin that grew on Sonia's face was very visible despite of the dark night and the terrible fog. But the grin disappeared as she stared at Lorelai's features. "Lorelai? What's wrong? Something's bothering you, what is it?"

"I can't tell you," Lorelai said as she turned away. The look on her face was... unreadable. "I'm really sorry, Sonia. But I don't think I can..."

"You can trust me. I'm your best friend, Lorelai. That's what I'm here for," the other Sabreur said as she moved to stand beside her best friend. "Come on! You've been telling me your secrets since we were little! Are you going to deny me this information? Who knows, maybe I could help you out! I'm good at those things, am I not?"

Sonia had never failed to make Lorelai smile. However, the grin that spread on her features quickly melted away as she thought about the problem that was at her hands. She shut her eyes as the struggle in her raged on, while Sonia just stood by her side patiently, waiting for Lorelai to just break the news.

After a few moments, she opened her eyes, and even if she did not want to spill her secret, she found herself doing it, nonetheless. "I... I broke tradition, Sonia. I have a daughter with a human."

Her best friend gasped in surprise, but as her shock faded, she immediately smiled. "Lorelai, that's tradition. That can and will change. In fact, you can start up the change! Our world is so advanced, yet our actions are so ancient. Is that even right? We have to cope up with change... and well... I was hoping you would work for that change."

"You mean---"

"I'm not gonna tell," Sonia assured. "Don't worry, your Highness. I'm your best friend. You can trust me. I'll never betray you, even if my life will be on the line. And besides, I want you to be the empress. I want you to be the leader, much like everyone else does."

Lorelai felt tears coming to her eyes. She expected terrible things to happen. She even expected her best friend to despise her for what she had done. But no, she didn't. Even though it was a bit of a shock for Sonia at first, but the shock wore off almost immediately. It was as if what she had done was just... normal. In relief and gratitude, she hugged her best friend. "Thank you, Sonia. Thank you for believing in me. And don't worry, I won't let you down."

"Don't mention it."

Unknown to them, Callista was listening from behind the window pane. A small smirk then appeared on her pale moonlit features as another one of her evil schemes began to form in her head. _I don't care if everyone wants you to be the leader, Lorelai. I don't give a damn. I'm going to take the throne, and you can't stop me. There's nothing you can do to stop me. After all, it's you who broke tradition. And it's you who's going to pay for it._

Applause filled the Senatorial Chamber of the Sabrean Royal Palace as His Eminence Pope Constance Grey crowned Lorelai as the empress of Sabrea. Admiral Ivanov sat adjacent to the empress in a stance indicating her readiness for anything. Beside her was General Ione, and the entire senatorial body stood right next to them.

Callista gave a slight bow before proceeding to the platform to give her congratulatory speech for her elder sister. She looked at the audience with bright, sparkling eyes and a proud grin. "Ladies and gentlemen, citizens of Sabrea," she began with a booming, well-projected voice, "Today is another milestone in the history of our world. For today, another warrior from the Anacreon clan took up the throne to rule everyone in this planet."

The Sabreurs applauded once more, and the noise died down when the princess resumed speaking. "Eons ago, Jacqueline Anacreon came to this world and blessed it with her presence --- a pure heart and pure spirit. She became the first ruler of Sabrea, the pillar of everything that is here right now. Great rulers followed her footsteps... Genevieve the Spirited, Frances the Faithful, and Diana the Pureheart. The Anacreon clan has kept Sabrea a peaceful haven, and you can all attest to that."

Then her expression grew concerned. "You hear many stories nowadays. How absurd the universe is, how great the change that has happened here, and how moral values have died. Well, not here. Not here in Sabrea. We have seen the effects of our grasp on traditions and values. Despite of all the change in our modes of actions due to technology, nothing has changed in our _values_ and _traditions_, our beliefs, our reasons, our faithfulness."

Sonia's brow clenched as she heard Callista punctuate the words _values_ and _traditions_. Something wasn't quite right, and she knew it by Callista's slightly strange tone.

"Yes, we have a changing world, but lasting values. Just because our world is advanced technologically doesn't mean we have to abandon our learnings and values that was handed down to us by our ancestors," Callista said glancing at Lorelai and Sonia.

The two ladies twitched uneasily, although they quickly tried to cover up what they just did. However, Callista noticed it clearly, though she pretended as if nothing happened, and she went back to her speech. "Look at Lyria, the world which used to be inhabited by technical geniuses. They clung to change, let go of their values that made them rise to glory... and perished."

"To what point are you getting at, Princess?" the admiral blurted out not taking her twisted words any longer. It was evident that Callista was directing the words to Lorelai, although she was putting it in an indirect fashion.

Callista merely smirked as the audience began whispering among themselves. "I just want to stress, _General_," Callista spat, emphasizing Sonia's former title, "That it is wrong to put to the throne a Sabreur who wants to change---"

"Change is inevitable," Sonia shot as she finally stood up to counter Callista's words, fear and panic rippling in her, although she managed to keep it hidden. "You know that. You changed this world, and you can see the difference."

The princess laughed. "Yes, I know that. But Lorelai wants change because she wants to change the tradition she broke!" she exclaimed, and a triumphant grin was planted on her face as the Sabreurs exchanged confused glances and shocked expressions. The time had come to deliver the blow, and the time had come to put her plans into completion. "Yes, ladies and gentlemen! Our dear empress broke tradition and had an affair with a human!"

The crowd grew wild as different reactions surfaced. However, Callista enjoyed the chaos. She merely stood there, her smile of triumph still intact. After all, she had won. 

But Sonia was not giving up. Callista had no evidence, and thus there was still a way out of the dilemna Lorelai was in at the moment. She immediately walked towards the princess, determined more than ever. Finally, they came face to face, and with all the force she could muster, she slapped the hotshot Sabreur.

It took a moment for Callista to recover, but when she finally did, she found herself ready to strangle Sonia to death, although she knew that she stood no chance against her in hand to hand combat. She decided to stick with the battle of words, for she knew that she would win if they would just have an argument. Arguments were her specialty.

"Stop this scandal, Callista!" Sonia spat with bitterness in her voice. "I know why you're making up this issue! You just want to have the throne all to yourself!"

"Scandal?" the princess asked in an amused tone. She then burst into laughter. "Scandal, you say? Well you are most certainly wrong! I'm just telling the truth! I'm just letting the people know because they have the right to know!"

"Truth? Do you even have evidence to prove this stament you call truth?" Sonia shot back, enraged. She tried to keep up with her facade as much as she could, although she knew for a fact that she was a bad liar, and that sooner or later --- if she won't be careful enough --- she'd spill out the truth. And Lorelai would be banished from Sabrea for breaking such a tradition.

"Don't threaten me, General."

"_Admiral_," Sonia corrected pointing to the insignia on her breast plate. "And I'm not threatening you, I just want this matter to be cleared out." She turned to the empress. "Your Majesty, give me permission to arrest her."

Part of the crowd cheered as Callista's features paled noticeably. That was something she left out. Lorelai had already been crowned. She was already the Empress, and she had the power at the moment --- plus, most of the Sabreurs were still at her side, to Callista's dismay. 

She decided to put more logic into her words, because if she'll be able to push Sonia on the edge, her sister's best friend would spill out the truth without herself even knowing it. "You can't arrest me, Sonia," she said cooly. "I'm the princess of Sabrea."

"Oh I can arrest you!" Sonia shot back. She then backed off from the princess, took out her saber and ignited it. "And remember, I can hurt you!" she exclaimed as she took up a fighting stance, ready to fight for Lorelai's sake, even with her life.

The crowd went wild. A handful cheered for Callista, while the rest were on Sonia's side. The chanting and cheering continued to dig into Callista's head until she could not take it any longer. "I CAN HURT YOU TOO!" she yeled as she pulled out her saber and ignited it in a flash. Her saber's yellow-gold blade clashed magnificently against the soft blue hue of Sonia's saber.

The admiral looked at Lorelai again, fire burning in her eyes. Without dropping her guard, she once again pleaded permission for Callista's arrest. The young princess was only going to ruin the chance for the Sabreurs to have a ruler that will make Sabrea a better place. "Lorelai, let me---"

"No."

That was her answer, simple and direct. _No_. She did not want Callista to be arrested. But Sonia knew that Lorelai meant something more than that. She had known her for all of her life, and she knew what was going to happen next when her best friend would say _no_ in a dead serious tone. "But Lorelai---" she objected, but the other merely cut her off.

"Let her be, Sonia," Lorelai said as she shook her head. "There is no need to fight. Let's have this matter cleared without bloodshed, please. I hope you will all bear with me."

Silence filled the entire chamber, as the empress stood up to address her people. She began to walk forward until she stood between her sister and her best friend. At that development, Callista dropped her guard and shut off her ki-saber. After a few moments, Sonia did the same.

Nobody spoke. Nobody dared to break the silence, only Lorelai, who sighed. _It's useless to hide the truth, for it'll come out in due time. And when that time comes, we will all pay the price. All of us. I'll... I'll just let the people deal with what I've done, I will do what they want me to do._

"Callista's right. I... I have a daughter with a human."

A/N: I know that not one of the DBZ characters was even mentioned, but please do not let that stop you from reading this fic. *smiles* Oh and yeah, 757 AD, the time that this chapter took place, is at the very same year when Goku and Chichi got married. Figured something out? *grins* Please review!

Advertisements: I don't know why, but I feel like advertising right now! So I'm going to advertise a handful of fics here. *grins*

1) **Vegeta, Trunks and His Bike** by Toki - Chibi Trunks is depressed. He wants to learn how to ride his bike but no one has time for him. In this fic, you'll find out the wrong way to learn how to ride a bike! Story ID - 767703  
2) **Hunted by An Angel** by Dragon Empress - When Gohan finds a way to cheat death, the Kais send their top warrior to bring him back. But what happens when she falls in love with the man she's hunting down? Story ID - 749351  
3) **Mikaradetasabi** by Christa (whose new pen name I haven't memorized) - Celipa marries Hercule and they have a daughter, Videl. Years later, Videl goes to high school with Son Gohan. Will he find out about her Saiyan heritage? Story ID - 744983  
4) **Goteneo and Truliet** by Burenda - Trunks is coerced into participating in the school play, Romeo and Juliet, as... JULIET!? But... who's playing Romeo? MUST READ! Story ID - 743492

And not to forget two of the best fics I've ever read... **Through Thick and Thin** by Kat (Story ID - 646228) and **Scars of the Past: The Life Story of Son Gohan** by Frozenflower (Story ID - 664931). I know, I already advertised these two fics in my other fics, but I just HAD to advertise them here!


	2. The Trouble With Women

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, everyone! I'm glad that I'm doing a better job now than the first one. *smiles* Now I just hope that more people will read this one. ^^; Oh, and before I forget, I managed to draw some of the characters already -- Lorelai, Thanatos and Keeney, to mention -- and you can check them at my site. Just click on _Fanart _under Kaz. *grins* Oh, and to everyone else... this is AU, so scenes will change, events will change, the Buu Saga will not happen, and there'll be a lot of original characters running around very soon. I hope you'll like it, despite the fact that I'm going to turn the DBZ world upside down. ^^; Now, on with the fic!

**DRAGONBALL Z: RENASCIMENTO  
****_Rebirth of the Future's Only Hope  
_**by Kaz Valkyrie

**Chapter One:** The Trouble With Women  
_Earth, 774 AD_

  
"Concentrate. Draw the energy from within you. That's it, that's it. Open your mind, free all your thoughts, and most importantly, focus. You're doing great, doing great... Nuh-uh, don't do that. Concentrate. Feel the power within you. Feel it fill your entire body, from head to toe. It's giving you a different kind of power, not a physical force but the power of your inner strength."

"Cut the crap, Gohan."

Son Gohan smiled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. "Oh come on, Videl! You know how hard it is to teach a beginner in flying who doesn't even know what ki is! I'm doing everything I can to make you understand all this---"

"Are you trying to insult me?!" Videl Satan snapped, arching an eyebrow. She then put her hands on her hips, and scowled. "Are we going to continue or shall we spend the whole day talking about nonsense things? Remember, Gohan, if I'm not satisfied with your training then I would have to tell the whole world that _you_ are the Great Saiyaman!"

The look on Gohan's face immediately changed from sheepish to worried and partly panicked. "Aw c'mon Videl! I was just kidding!" he blurted out as he tried to calm Videl down. "Please don't tell anyone that I'm the Great Saiyaman! I promise I'm going to do everything in my power to make you fly! Please?" he asked with pleading eyes.

"Hmmm..." Videl mumbled as she looked up, seemingly thinking. And then, she turned to look at the pleading demi-saiyajin with her bright blue eyes, and smiled. "Alright. Just tell me what I have to do --- NO FOOLING AROUND OR GOING AROUND IN CIRCLES --- and let's get this done."

He let out a sigh of relief, which was quickly replaced by his always gleeful smile. "It's really simple, Videl. Practice is all it takes to perfect this technique. Very few martial artists know the art of flying, and they are all extraordinary warriors at that. Technically, flying is called _Bukujutsu_ and---" his voice trailed off as Videl's glare pierced through him, and after letting out the Son Grin™ for a moment, he went back to making his explanation _simple and direct_. 

"Step one: focus. Step two: draw your inner power. Step three: gather your inner strength then use that energy to propell you upward. Just three steps, all very simple! When you've managed to do that, let me know, and it will be time for lesson two. Meanwhile, I have to rest up. Is everything clear, my apprentice?" Gohan asked mockingly.

"Yes, master," Videl sarcastically said in reply, and proceeded to her self-training. _If I hadn't seen Gohan fly with my own eyes, I would have thought that this was one of those tricks used by those golden-haired warriors during the Cell Games. But what I don't understand is the fact that someone like Gohan knows such a complex thing, when my father --- who has been into martial arts for most of his life --- is ignorant with this. You're hiding something from me, Gohan. And I'm going to make sure I uncover every secret you keep..._

Meanwhile, Gohan sat against the boulder as he closed his eyes to rest up for even just a few moments. As he rested up, his mind began to drift off and he started to ponder on the recent happenings in his life. There was school; Videl; his job as the Great Saiyaman; Videl; the upcoming Tenkaichi Budokai; Videl; his father's return from the Afterlife; Videl; Vi---

_What the---?!_ Gohan snapped with his mind as his eyes jolted open. What was that all about? _Well... Videl IS important to me, and she had been a part of my life recently. But... why... why is she in my thoughts a lot more often recently?! Something's... something's not quite right._

He turned his dark eyes to look at the raven beauty at a distance, and his eyes widened in total surprise as he saw Videl successfully hovering a few feet up in the air. _Wow! That was... fast. I knew it, I knew there was something in Videl that made her different from all those martial artists at Mr. Satan's fighting institute! But I have to be careful, I have a bad feeling that she's going to beat me in the Tenkaichi Budokai..._

Chikyuu-sei. Earth. The planet in the North Galaxy inhabited by humans. A planet that had been the target of so many evil and power-hungry beings, mainly because of seven powerful artifacts that summons a dragon that grants almost any wish. A planet that had been threatened countless times. And one of those times... was now.

A class-A starfighter sped towards the planet --- a ship with no markings, and no name for that matter. The only bearing it had was a strange character at its tail, which was written in the language of the Lyriajins --- a race of technical geniuses who were wiped out when their planet collided with their own sun.

And yet, one of them survived, Rui Shujimoto by name. She piloted the mysterious starship, her pale yet slender hands running about the controls with much ease. Her eyes were bright yet stern, oppressive and mysterious at the same time; and she had long, silver hair that cascaded past her shoulders in curls which radiated beautifully. 

Her face brightened noticeably as their ship approached Earth, although her eyes had a mischievous gleam in them. Once she finished doing the basic check-ups with the ships location, invisibility shield and all, she took out her transmitter, and said with a cool voice, "Ladies of Fraulein, we are now in orbit of the planet Earth. Standing by here for orders. Commander?"

"You did a good job, Rui. I have nothing more to say, you know exactly what you should do. Please keep the invisibility and guard shields up until we complete our mission. Sonia and I shall descend in half an hour. After all, we've got saiyajins to fry."

"Roger, Commander. The invisibility shield is already up; putting up the guard shields now," Rui replied as she pressed a couple of buttons in a certain sequence, then a loud _hum_ was heard as the guard shield started functioning. She then flicked to another channel. "Francine? Something wrong there?"

An enthusiastic voice boomed through the control room's speakers. "Clear here, Rui! So far, so good! I've got the weapons ready, but of course, there's no need for them. After all, it's our Commander and Sonia heading this mission, and have they ever failed? Never! Never in Fraulein's history! Our success is a sure thing!"

Rui could not supress her grin as she averted her eyes to look at the planet that lay before them. "Well, I can't wait for it myself. Those _powerful_ saiyajins will be in for a great surprise. They're no match for us. Three Sabreurs and a Lyriajin will be too much for them to handle," she sneered in total amusement.

"Was that okay?" Videl asked as she landed back on the ground. "I... I thought it would be very hard. But I made it, right? I mean, that was a good start, right, Gohan?"

Gohan nodded as he smiled brightly. "That was great, Videl! You really amaze me, you know," he blurted out, and that made Videl's face turn crimson. "I've never met anyone who learned how to fly after one session... I mean, anyone outside my family," he said as he remembered that Goten also learned how to fly after just one lesson with him. Of course, the young demi-saiyajin knew what ki was, so it was easier for him to learn how to fly.

"Hey," she interrupted the ranting Gohan by waving her hand in front of his face as she glanced at her wristwatch for a second. "The dinner's in half an hour, and my father will kill me if I'm late!"

"Dinner? What dinner---" Gohan asked in confusion, but when Videl glared at him, he immediately remembered every single detail of the _dinner_. It was a dinner hosted by Mr. Satan as his birthday treat for his fans. However, Videl asked him to go with her so he would be able to _get to know the family better_. It confused Gohan greatly, but he did not have time to figure the mystery out because Videl's cold eyes were still turned to him. "Oh! The dinner!" he exclaimed, and then he laughed in the usual Son manner. 

Videl could only roll her eyes. _Sometimes, Gohan, you're just too naive, too clueless. And I thought you were a genius, having perfected all our entrance exams. Either I'm wrong, or there are times when you're plainly forgetful._

"Well then, Videl... I'll be going now... I'll see you there!"

Her eyes widened noticeably as she heard his words, and when she finally got the meaning straightened out, her eyes narrowed and she felt like she was about to explode in anger and frustration. "What do you mean, SEE YOU THERE?!" she thundered.

Gohan, who was already leaving, stopped in his tracks. Slowly, he turned around, and a nervous smile escaped his features as he shifted his partly nervous and partly confused gaze at the young woman before him. "Umm... See you there. At the dinner," he blurted out, when almost immediately, he found himself running for his life, and a furious Videl was hot on his tail.

_Oh no... I'm dead._

The grand ballroom of the biggest hotel in Satan City was a spectacular sight --- except for the fact that a huge portrait of Mr. Satan hung behind the long buffet table. After all, he _defeated_ Cell, and thus that made him the hero of the city that was now named after him. 

A group of reporters --- as well as his fans and other curious people --- crowded around him at the moment, and he apparently enjoyed all the attention. After he gave out a long yet annoying speech --- which the people seemed to enjoy greatly --- the hall rocked with thunderous applause. However, that applause quickly died down as everyone's attention was shifted towards Mr. Satan's daughter, Videl, who entered the room with the tall, dashing Son Gohan. 

What shocked everyone was that she was in a look they have never seen her with, not even once. Her long, black hair cascaded past her shoulders in some dramatic manner; her sparkling blue eyes were beautifully accented by her emphasized eyelashes, and her gorgeous body curves were stressed magnificently by her flowing dark blue gown.

Soon the reporters flocked around the two, and they popped all sorts of questions ranging from Gohan being her boyfriend to her _relationship_ with the Great Saiyaman. Those questions irritated the young crimefighters --- after all, Gohan was Saiyaman and Saiyaman was Gohan --- but it was Videl who was got really ticked off. "Please! I am here to enjoy, not to undergo third degree," she told the reporters as she held up her hands to make them stop, and then she turned to her date. "Let's go, Gohan. Excuse me."

The reporters tried to follow them, but another famous figure who walked in the room caught their attention. He was Lucius Levenheit, who was rumored to be one of the richest and most successful businessmen in the world, and at the moment, he was with his daughter, Kauri, a famous commercial model.

"Those reporters are annoying and troublesome," Videl commented as she and Gohan sat down by one of the tables. "I just hate them. If I had things my way, I would beat them up with your help. Unfortunately, I cannot do that, because I have an image to maintain. That's the downer of being the daughter of a _hero_."

Gohan, who obviously wasn't listening to her and was looking at the buffet table the entire time, asked, "When do we eat?"

She wanted to be mad that he wasn't paying attention to her, but she found herself not being able to do so. However, it came to her mind to make fun of him instead. Her plan was interrupted, however, when her father came striding towards them. "Videl! My dear, who's this... this... skinny _kid_ you've brought with you?"

_I'm the kid who defeated Cell, you dimwit_, Gohan thought with a grimace. As he turned slightly to look at Mr. Satan --- who gave him a party disgusted look --- he found himself irritated and ready to eliminate him. He thought about announcing to the world --- thanks to the media coverage available at the very moment --- that _he_ defeated Cell at the tender age of 11, but he stop to examine the pros and the cons.

The pros: It would put an end to Mr. Satan's lying spree. It would put an end to his career. It would make Gohan famous, and Mr. Satan famous because of his lies. And if Mr. Satan would not believe him, he would get the opportunity to beat him up and show him who's boss.

The cons: It would blow his facade. It would destroy the reputation of Videl's family, and it will affect her greatly. It would ruin his relationship with Videl. It would give him and his family more problems. It would make girls follow him around in such an annoying manner. In short, it would be disaster.

_Nevermind, I'll just shut up..._

"He's Son Gohan. He's my classmate, who perfected all our entrance exams --- and all our exams for the entire schoolyear, for that matter. He's also the son of the legendary martial artist and the world champion before you, named Son Goku," Videl replied with a smug look on her face, and in a tone full of pride, in a way. "And he's as strong as he claims."

"Son Goku?" Mr. Satan asked, then he burst into maniacal laughter. "SON GOKU?!? That _warrior_ who uses cheap tricks for his victory?! That _martial artist_, my dear, is genuinely a fake one. He's more like a magician than a martial artist, and he has only brought disgrace to our society, to us martial artists!"

Gohan began to fume as the _World Champion_ bombarded Goku with insults not even Vegeta would say. He sent a silent prayer to Dende, requesting him to stop the demi-saiyajin from killing the human, and then, he shot coldly, "He did not use cheap tricks, Mr. Satan. Apparition, as what you call it, is actually a technique called _Shunkan Idou_, which allows the uses to teleport from one place to another using ki."

"Hmph, so we have a combat smart-ass here!" Mr. Satan commented with a snort, and once again, he laughed until his sides hurt. "How unfortunate for you, my boy. You're living in an illusion of your dead father, a useless, good-for-nothing man who is a trickster and li---" his voice was abruptly cut off as Gohan angrily slammed his fist on the table, splitting it into two.

"Don't. Insult. My. Father," he hissed in a very cold tone that sent shivers down everyone's spines. To prevent himself from exterminating the human, he merely left the room. 

"You seem upset," a soft female voice greeted Gohan as he walked up into the balcony to get some air. He turned his head to the side slightly to see who it was, when he saw a stunningly beautiful young woman who stood by the railings. She had long black hair that reached to her waist, and gleaming sapphire blue eyes. She was wearing a beautiful scarlet and ebony gown that almost touched the floor, and in a very graceful manner than Gohan could not seem to take his eyes off her.

Then the spell broke as she turned around to look at the scenery that spread before them. He then walked towards her, and then he slumped against the railings as he heaved a sigh. To his surprise, he found her presence comforting, and the next thing he knew, he was pouring out what he felt at the moment. "How would you feel if someone insulted your father, called him a useless and good-for-nothing when he isn't?"

"Well, I'd feel really bad, so I'd give that person a good kick in the head," she replied in a dead serious tone. She then turned to look at him for a few moments, and then she held out her glass. "Champagne?"

"No, thank you," Gohan replied as he shook his head slightly, and then he returned to what they were talking about. "Well... I would have done that, really. But... it'll only cause me trouble."

She took a sip from her glass, then she put it down on the railing. "At least you've got common sense. Many people have been hurt because they let their anger cloud their common sense. A mistake so easy to make, unfortunately." She paused, and then she smiled. "By the way, I'm Kauri. Kauri Levenheit."

"Son Gohan." 

"You're Son Gohan?!" Kauri asked with wide eyes, and when Gohan nodded, she shook his hand. "I'm so honored to meet you, Gohan! I've been wanting to meet you for quite some time already! After all, who would not want to meet the martial artist who beat Cell when he was only 11 years old?"

Gohan paled as he heard the words _beat Cell_ and _11 years old_. He looked at Kauri with a look of disbelief on his face. _How... how did she know? She... She can't read minds, can she? Oh no... I'm in big trouble... I'm in BIG trouble!_

At that very moment, they heard someone clear her throat loudly, and they spun around to see Videl, who was walking towards them with a stern look on her face. Her eyes were filled with jealousy, but Gohan was too naive to notice it. "Kauri Levenheit, I presume?" she asked the other girl with a sharp tone.

Kauri smiled, despite of Videl's coldness towards her. "Yes, that is I. And undeniably, you're Ms. Videl Satan, Champion of Justice and daughter of the martial artist who saved the world from Cell," she blurted out as she extended her hand. "Nice to meet you in person at last."

Videl did not move. She just stood there, the coldness still reflected on her features. However, something else was going on in her mind. It was Kauri, and it was not only because of her flirtatious acts with Gohan. _If I'm not mistaken... Levenheit and I already met before, a few years ago. And... something's not quite right with the way she looks. Oh I don't know, I'm not really good in remembering names and faces, but why do I have this feeling that... something's not right with her...?_

Trying to hide her embarassment, Kauri immediately put her hand away, for obviously it was not a pleasure on Videl's part to meet her. She then backed away from them, to give them the opportunity to talk, although she still kept close enough for her to hear their every word. 

"I'm sorry for my father's rudeness, Gohan," Videl began, as she turned her back towards Kauri. "His ego is as big as he is, so I wouldn't take him seriously if I were you. Let's go back inside now, the dinner is nearly finished and you haven't---" her voice trailed off as both Gohan and Kauri stiffened, and she clearly noticed that. "Gohan, what's---"

The demi-saiyajin then put his finger to his lips, and he shut his eyes as he tried to detect the owner of the ki signature he was feeling at the moment. Then his eyes snapped wide open, as Kauri tackled both of them to the floor.

And a short second after, an energy beam shot up from below. The blast hit the floor above the balcony, sending debris flying towards them, and fire began to blaze. Chaos soon erupted in no time.

Gohan then helped Videl up, as he made sure that she was safe and unhurt. He then turned around to face Kauri, to mumble a few words of thanks to her, but she was gone. Again, that puzzled him, but he knew he had no time to think about it. He turned back to Videl, who was trembling in fright and in shock. "Videl, get out of here. I'll go check things out. Leave me, now!"

"But Gohan---" Videl objected, but her voice trailed off as Gohan pressed his lips against hers but a moment, and when the kiss broke off, they both had puzzled looks on their faces. For Gohan, he did not know what made him do start up such an act. For Videl, she did not know what made her give in to his act when she could have just pushed him away.

_Videl, you have to leave. I will take care of this matter. Please, go. The people need you, Videl. They need the Champion of Justice to help them out. The Great Saiyaman isn't available at the moment, so they'll have to make do with you._

_Gohan, please, take care! I... I don't want you to go, but... I know that you have to. Just... come back to me. Come back to me alive. We've got so much to do, and so much to talk about. I... I..._

"GO!" Gohan yelled with his voice this time --- he did not know that they had been talking to each other with their minds --- and in response, Videl immediately got up to her feet, and ran off to save the citizen of Satan City. 

The demi-saiyajin, on the other hand, jolted up into the air as he searched for his target. The moment he found it, he took off at top speed, determined to catch up with the person behind it all. He forgot to transform into the Great Saiyaman as he flew across Satan City, but because of his speed he merely looked like a blur from down below.

_I have to hurry_, he told himself as he tried to increase his speed in vain. _If I won't, I'm going to lose him, the evil-minded being responsible for the commotion at Mr. Satan's dinner. Not that I really care... but... Videl was nearly hurt. And I'm going to make sure that he's going to pay for it._

**Advertisement: **I forgot the story ID, but it's Frozenflower's new fic, and it's called _Wishes Never Do Come True_... Wait. Does it have the _do _or not? Oh nevermind. Just check out her latest story, it's about Goten, and it's really angsty, and so far, it's the second fic that made me tear up. *sniff*

**Next chapter: **Gohan battles the mysterious person who's behind the assault on him at Mr. Satan's dinner! For those of you who read the original version already -- Kat, Christa, Miss Lous, Vsd2oc -- you'll see that Gohan's battle will be longer and more detailed. I want to really show how powerful his enemy is, and that's what I'm going to be doing in the next chapter. So until then, everyone!


	3. Ice-Blue Eyes

A/N: Okay, Gohan's battle in this chapter isn't as long as I wanted it to be, but I hope you enjoy it, nonetheless. And before I forget, I would like to ask your opinion... would you like me to go detailed on the World Tournament or not? Because I have plans on the matches, to make things more interesting... Anyway, read on, and please leave a review!

**DRAGONBALL Z: RENASCIMENTO  
****_Rebirth of the Future's Only Hope  
_**by Kaz Valkyrie

**Chapter Two:** Ice-Blue Eyes

  
"I've been waiting for you, Son Gohan."

Those were _her_ words as the 18-year-old demi-saiyajin landed on the ground before her; his dark, ebony eyes stared murderously at her. However, she did not flinch, no matter how hard Gohan glared at her. They regarded each other with just their eyes for a few moments, until Gohan broke the silence and took up a fighting stance.

She merely raised an eyebrow, her arms still crossed over her chest. She was tall, and slightly muscular in build, just like female warriors Gohan encountered before. However, her aura radiated in a manner different from humans or saiyajins. She had long, golden brown hair and striking ice-blue eyes that seemed to pierce through Gohan's soul.

Never had anyone looked at him like that, except his own mother... and Videl. And this woman, was the third one to do so. Gohan felt himself slowly panic as the warning bell at the back of his head rang fiercely, but he pushed that fear aside as he pulled himself together to talk to her. After all, maybe they could solve things the diplomatic way. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"Your life," she answered in a cold voice, as cold as the way her eyes looked. "And the life of all the other saiyajins in this planet. We've received orders to eliminate all of the saiyajins, and that time has come. At first we didn't want to take the mission since one pureblood and three hybrids are too simple a task, but we were offered a good price in exchange for our service. How could we refuse?"

_We..? _Gohan thought as he began to pale. _There's more of them?!_

As she saw the confused looked on Gohan's face, she smiled. "I am Matilda Adanaeur, commander of the assassin group Fraulein," she introduced herself cooly. She then took a black contraption from the belt of her suit. It was small, small enough for her to hold it properly; it was rectangular and it had a button. "So, are you just going to stand there, or are you going to fight for your life?"

"WOMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN! GET THE DAMN DOOR!"

Bulma Briefs-Vegeta heaved a sigh as she walked out of her lab and towards the front door of Capsule Corporation. Their guest, unfortunately, was very impatient, for she had been ringing the doorbell continuously already, while there was no one around to get the door. Mr. and Mrs. Briefs were out shopping, while Trunks and Vegeta --- together with Trunks' best friend, Goten --- were all in the gravity room, sparring.

"Yes?!" Bulma asked in a slightly annoyed tone as she opened the door, but she backed off as she saw their guest. She was of average height, with bluish-white hair and seemingly frozen silver eyes. She wore some kind of armor that Bulma hasn't seen before, and she certainly did not look friendly.

"Vegeta, Saiyajin no Ouji. Is he around? I wish to speak with him about important matters," the stranger said coldly in an accent that Bulma hasn't heard of in her entire life.

The prince's wife took her time to _peek_ inside, and then she turned back to the guest with a stern look on her face. "I'm sorry, but he's busy right now. He's training our son and our son's best friend, and he certainly doesn't want interruptions. You can either wait for him, or just tell me your message."

"I'm telling you, woman, this matter is important, and must be discussed between me and him alone. And I would like to clear out this matter, woman, that I don't have time to wait for him, he must attend to me right now," she demanded in the same cold tone.

_How impolite and demanding. She should learn some manners, as well as the value of patience! And she called me woman! Only Vegeta can call me that, only him, and nobody else_, she thought to herself as her eyes narrowed significantly. "Really? How important is that matter --- and how confidential is it --- that the Prince's own wife may not know about it?"

Their eyes met as they glared at each other, in a battle that did not involve ki, or even words. However, it didn't take long for one to overpower the other. As the stranger's lips formed a sly smile, Bulma screamed.

It was a sword, although how it worked and came to be was simply complicated. All it took was a tap on the button, located on the upper part of the black contraption, and a red blade came soaring out of the edge. It wasn't an ordinary blade though, for it had a ki-signature.

"Marvelous, isn't it?" Matilda asked as she lifted her sword and put it in front of her. "This is what you call a ki-saber, a sword with a blade that you can ignite and disable whenever you feel like doing so. The blade is ki itself, which is channeled through the handle to form a razor-sharp blade."

His eyes narrowed significantly as Matilda shifted her weight to her other foot, for she looked as if she was preparing to strike then and there. However, the blow Gohan expected did not come. His opponent was looking at him intently, and then, with a _snap-hiss_, she shut off her saber. "I heard you're a pretty good warrior, so I'm going to give you a chance. I'm going to fight fairly. No ki-sabers, no telekinesis. Just martial arts and ki blasts."

"T-telekinesis?!" Gohan stuttered in disbelief. _She's not only capable of martial arts and using ki, she doesn't only have an extraordinary weapon, she's also skilled in psychic techniques! This isn't good at all..._

"Shocked, saiyajin? That's not all I can do. I can also pilot a starfighter, fix up machines, heal myself in case of injuries, and I can very much use elemental magic," she said, and when she felt Gohan's aura flicker in fear and uncertainty, she smirked. "Don't be too shocked, that's not really much. I cannot turn super saiyajin, you know."

She paused to look at a contraption on her wrist, which Gohan presumed to be a watch, and then, she turned back to him. "Well, I guess that's enough talk. I've wasted a lot of time explaning things to you already. Get on with your highest transformation so we can get the ball rolling."

Trunks stopped in the midst of their sparring session with Goten. Goten, on the other hand, had built up too much energy that he was unable to stop his attack. His fist went flying right at Trunks' face and it knocked the older demi-saiyajin to the floor. 

However, Trunks didn't seem to mind that attack which caught him off-guard, for his mind was at other matters at that moment. Goten noticed that his sparring partner was distracted, so he stopped and asked, "What's wrong, Trunks?"

"I don't know... I'm not sure who it is... but I feel a power level nearby. A strong one at that. It's not familiar too... and it's... on the same location as your brother," Trunks explained to his best friend.

Goten stopped to examine it too. "You're... right. It is a strong power level. I wonder who could that be... I mean, that couldn't possibly be my dad, right?"

The lavender-haired saiyajin merely shrugged. "I don't know, I haven't met your dad, you know. And if it was your dad, everyone else would be flocking around him right now, with him saving the world before and all," he said, then he turned to Vegeta. "Do you feel that, dad?"

He merely nodded, although the two chibis could tell that he was thinking about checking it out. And they were right. A few seconds later, Vegeta began to walk towards the exit of the gravity room, when a loud sound made him stop in his tracks.

It was Bulma.

All three of them were frozen for a second, but once that second passed, they quickly scrambled out of the gravity room and towards the living room, as their senses told them that Bulma was there. Indeed she was there, although she was lying on the couch, clearly unconscious. 

Standing in front of the scientist was a warrior from a race they have never seen before, and the two demi-saiyajins immediately took refuge behind the Saiyajin no Ouji the moment they saw her flashy and cold silver eyes.

_Looks like I don't have to go around looking for the rest of the saiyajins! Here they are, huddled like little ducks. Looks like this mission will be easier that we expected._

Vegeta shoved the two scared saiyajins aside, and he walked up towards the guest with a murderous look on his face. He took her by the neck and growled, "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY MATE?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?! TELL ME, NOW!"

"I just told her what I wanted with you, that's all," she answered cooly as if she wasn't hurt with what Vegeta was doing to her. "She refused to let me see you because, according to her, you're busy and you do not like to be interrupted. When I told her the importance of my mission and what I really wanted with you, she just screamed and fainted."

He let go of her and folded his arms in front of his chest. "Well? What do you want? I don't like my time being wasted, woman! So spit it out, or else I'm going to send you to the next dimension! And if this matter you want to talk about will just end up wasting my time, then I will send you to the next dimension! Do you get me?"

"Of course this matter is very important, dear prince," she replied as she continued to look deep into his eyes. "After all, your _life_ is very precious, isn't it?" she said with a smirk, although she could tell that Vegeta's patience was slowly running out. "Well, then, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sonia Ivanov, second-in-command of the assassin group, Fraulein. Our commander is currently dealing with a certain Son Gohan, and she gave me orders to dispose of you quickly. And since the other two saiyajins we're after are here as well, so I better get my work started."

"You will not touch the brats," Vegeta hissed in reply as he put his arm in front of Goten and Trunks protectively. He knew it was a move that clearly reflected how soft he had become, but he told himself that at the moment, it was best to put away his pride and just do the right thing. "If you want to get them, then you will have to defeat me first."

Sonia looked at the kids, then back at Vegeta, and then, she laughed. "How heroic! I thought that you never cared, Vegeta? I thought that you were a weak, soft-hearted warrior, like that Kakkarot so many people speak of."

"SOFT-HEARTED?! WEAK?!" Vegeta roared with a scowl. "I don't think you know who you're crossing, woman! Allow me to tell you, then. I am Vegeta, PRINCE OF THE SAIYAJINS, and I, am the strongest warrior in the universe! You picked on the wrong person, weakling. And I'm going to make you pay the ultimate price for doing so!"

"Prince of the saiyajins, _hmph_," Sonia snorted as she glared back at Vegeta, and then shifted to a fighting stance. "And I don't think you know who you're threatening, _your majesty_. I'm going to say this once, and I hope you keep this in mind. _No one crosses Fraulein and lives to tell about it._"

The look on Gohan's face was undescribable, however, it did not fail to sing out his state in their battle. Despite his determination, he was losing. He stood on one end of the battlefield, breathing hard, gasping for air. His opponent, who was on the other side, merely stood there with a contented smirk on her face.

"I do not understand why I am putting up with you, saiyajin," Matilda spat as she pushed away a stray lock of hair from her face. "To think that there's someone that would be more of a challenge than you. I should have let Sonia take care of you, from the way things are going now, Vegeta's holding off better than you. Where's the power you used to defeat Cell? Your victory spread far and wide, even to the deepest parts of the universe, and so many people were frightened by your _power_. But now that I'm here, fighting you... I think the rumor had become way exaggerated."

Gohan screamed, then lunged at her, although what drove him to so, he was unsure. He began to throw one attack after the other in desperation, however, Matilda just blocked and dodged every single one of them as if she was sparring with a child. 

The strength of his attacks slowly began to increase as he continued to punch and kick like he was mad. With a yell, he threw his fist straight at the assassin's face. However, Matilda merely caught it with one hand, and she hit Gohan in the gut hard with her knee.

Excruciating pain shot through him continuously, for Matilda did not stop after that attack of hers. She threw Gohan high up in the air, and before he could move away, she slammed her hands on his back with such a tremendous force that he shot straight to the ground like some rag doll. Dust and sand began to scatter around them, which was a disadvantage for Gohan, who was sprawling on the ground --- face down --- at the moment.

He got back up to his feet, but the sand stung his eyes badly that he was forced to keep them shut as Matilda lunged for him this time. He tried his best to block every single attack, while clearing his eyes at the same time, but she was too fast and too unpredictable for him. 

Gohan tightened his frontal defense as he put his arms in front of his face to shield himself, but as he did so, he felt her aura flicker. He tried to turn around to block the blow that was going to hit him from behind, but he was a second too late. With him caught off-guard, Matilda took the opportunity as she threw punch after punch at the teenage warrior. 

And in no time, Gohan was once again down on the ground.

Cerulean eyes filled with fear and worry, Videl rushed to her copter as fast as her legs would allow her. It had only been a few minutes since Gohan left, but she knew --- somehow --- that Gohan was in grave danger. Sometime during her rescue operation, she felt two strong forces at a distance, and the power levels were so strong, they frightened her greatly. 

Almost instantly, she felt fear and worry fill her, because she knew that one of those power levels belonged to Gohan --- and the other, to the enemy. And she wanted to help him badly. She wanted to be there to help him out in any way possible.

_But... what can I do to help him out...? I'm nothing. True, I am the daughter of Mr. Satan, and I am as strong as he is, but who am I kidding?! I... I'm just a weak little girl, and I barely know how to fly. I am nothing compared to Gohan, to those people know have been using ki for years, to monsters like Cell... and possibly that person Gohan is fighting now, or to those golden-haired warriors. I stand no chance. I'm a warrior yes, but I'm just a girl. What can I do to help out? I'd just get in the way..._

She froze. One power level was beginning to drop to a low level, and right then and there, fear jolted through her in an even greater intensity. It wasn't fear for herself, or for the world, but for Gohan. _Her_ Gohan. 

She had never cared for someone as much as she did for Gohan. She had never admired anyone as much as she admired Gohan. She had never loved anyone as much as she loved Gohan --- although she refused to admit it, but it was obvious in the way she acted towards him. _Actions speak louder than words_, and her actions were enough to prove to the world that she loved him dearly. 

And because of that, she felt the need to be there. Maybe she would not be able to help him win the battle by fighting by his side, but perhaps, she would be able to help him win by giving him the strength and encouragement to fight to the fullest.

_You can't lose, Gohan... You must not lose... Hang on, Gohan... I'm coming for you! I... I don't want to lose you, Gohan. Please... for me... hang on..._

"Why are you doing this?!" Gohan asked as he looked at Matilda with a look as if he was ready to give up. "Why do you do such horrible things?! Don't you have a heart?! Or have you just completely lost your mind?!"

She shook her head with a smile, amused at how innocent Gohan was. "I don't think you'll ever understand, young one. But it's our job. We kill, we get paid, and we're happy. That's it. However, it doesn't mean we don't have hearts. Of course we do. There are reasons --- _personal reasons_ --- why we took this job in the first place. But it's a matter that would be too complicated for one as young as you are."

"Try me. I might be able to," he said as he attempted to strike a conversation with the assassin. He knew that there was still goodness in her, just as there was goodness in Android 18, buried somewhere under her cold and uncaring facade. After all, he heard Matilda's tone change somewhere in her explanation, and that was proof that she still had feelings.

However, his efforts were all in vain, as she exclaimed in a harsh tone, "You have no right to pry on my personal affairs, saiyajin! That's it! I'm tired of putting up with your behavior! I'm going to end this---" her voice trailed off as she saw a helicopter fly towards their direction. She then turned to her prey with a smirk. "Oh? You called for reinforcements?"

_Damnit... Videl... What do you think you're doing?! You're going to get yourself killed! _he thought to himself as Matilda took out her saber and ignited it for the second time that day. This time, however, she brought it out not for a demonstration, but for what it was really for. For killing. Although he could tell that she wasn't aiming to finish him, but his ally who was coming to aid him.

Gohan was desperate. He knew he had to do something, something that would keep Matilda's attention away from Videl. Then one thought came to his mind, and even though he was running low on energy, he decided to do it, nonetheless. He cupped his hands together, and yelled, "KAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!! MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!! MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!"

It worked. The assassin spun around and looked straight at him. "What took you so long to start up that technique?" she teased as she disabled her sword, tucked it back to her armor, and put both of her palms out, facing the saiyajin. She started chanting softly in a foreign language, and balls of fire began to appear around her. "HOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! JUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!! KUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!"

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!"

"RENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!"

Their blasts clashed; it was Gohan's _Kamehameha_ against Matilda's _Honoo-Jukuren_. At first Gohan seemed to have the upper hand, but in a swift movement, she clasped her hands together, and her beam dissipated to several smaller ones.

That move caused Gohan to put his blast to a stop and fly away from the fragments of the _Honoo-Jukuren_, but Matilda's speed gave her the upper hand. She flew behind Gohan faster than he could blink, and with her palm pressed firmly against Gohan's back, she yelled, "HIHAKURYOKU!"

Gohan could only scream as the flame began to eat his flesh, and excruciating pain filled his body in a slow yet agonizing pace. It didn't take long for him to fall limply to the ground, worn out, and barely able to hold on.

He looked up, and she was flying above him, another blast charged up in her hands. She then raised her hands high above her head as she bellowed, "The time has come to finish this job! You're times up, saiyajin. Goodbye, Son Gohan. HI-NO-A-RA---"

"GOHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!"

Matilda, a cold-blooded assassin who showed no fear, no weakness, immediately paled as a black-haired human ran towards the nearly unconscious saiyajin. Their eyes met; Matilda's that was as cold as ice, and Videl's that was as bright as the sky, full of love and concern, which was quickly replaced with hatred and thirst for vengeance as she held Gohan's battered body close to her.

_No... It... It cannot be... It's her... She... She's the one!_ she thought wildly as fear overtook her, shortly followed by panic and uncertainty. In fact, the ki that was charged at her hands died down completely.

She did not know what to do. There was nothing else in her mind now, nothing but the thought to leave and escape immediately. Trembling, she took out her transmitter, and in a voice full of fear and panic, she relayed her order. 

"Sonia, return to the ship. Abort misson. Abort mission _now_."

**Advertisement:** _Pay Attention_ by VegetaGokuLover, story ID = 698092. Chichi and Bulma get ignored by their husbands, but when they go missing, Goku and Vegeta prove that they really care by going out to look for them. But that's just the start of the chaos...

**Next chapter:** Looks like Videl has some secrets of her own, but what they are, she herself doesn't know. Meanwhile, the World Tournament is closing in, and so is Goku's one-day visit from the Afterlife. Will Goku's return make all hell break lose?


	4. Hidden Agendas

A/N: I hate school. I really do. . Anyway, here's another chapter for you! Despite the fact that I didn't get any reviews in the previous chapter. ^^;

**DRAGONBALL Z: RENASCIMENTO  
****_Rebirth of the Future's Only Hope  
_**by Kaz Valkyrie

**Chapter Three:** Hidden Agendas

"Commander, what happened?"

Matilda took off her helmet as she sat down on the co-pilot's chair, still pale and full of fear --- and that fear was evident in her blue eyes that were no longer ice-cold, not like how they used to be. "She was there," she said in a trembling voice that sounded as if she wanted to break down. "She was there, Sonia. Standing right in front of me. She was... so close..."

Her second-in-command came up behind her and squeezed her shoulders reassuringly. "Calm down, everything's alright. I mean, no harm was done, right? So just calm down and compose yourself."

"We have to leave."

The two other members of Fraulein --- Rui and Francine --- just looked at each other in silence, then turned to look back at their commander and Sonia, who was a bit exasperated with the way the other woman was acting. "Matilda, be reasonable. We can't leave. We can't because our mission isn't over."

Matilda buried her face in her hands as she snapped, "I don't care! We can't stay!"

"Then why did you accept the mission in the first place?!" Sonia snapped back in a frustrated, and at the same time, threatening tone which made Rui and Francine freeze in shock and fear. Only Sonia had the guts to speak that way to Matilda. Only the former Admiral Ivanov of Sabrea who chose self-exile after her empress was dismissed from the throne had the guts to use that kind of tone on their Commander.

"I never knew she had connections to those saiyajins! I didn't know she knew our target. It was such a bizarre thought, to think that she knew them. But no, I was wrong."

Sonia knelt by Matilda's side and wiped away her tears. "There's no need to be upset. What's done is done. We'll flee to the farthest star system, away from here and from our client, and everything will be alright." As Matilda nodded, Sonia took her place on the pilot's chair and said, "Francine, Rui, to your stations. We are leaving for," she paused to look at the small-scale navigational map. "... Chifuku."

"Chifuku? The hidden base of the intergalactic rebel alliance? Do you think they'll let us in?" Francine inquired. "With our reputation and the firearms we're carrying---"

"They have been wanting my alliance for years. They've been waiting for Sonia Ivanov to join their alliance, thanks to my reputation during the pre-Callistian Era. And now, the time has come to put that advantage to use. It's showtime."

Rui raised an eyebrow at Sonia questioningly. "Why don't we kill our client? Why waste time hiding? I mean, it's not like we can't beat him, right? We're four of the best assassins in the whole universe --- don't tell me we can't make that client of ours fall?"

"We're not hiding because we failed. We shall get those saiyajins when our commander is prepared for a second strike," Sonia said with a finality in her voice. "To your posts, ladies. We shall enter hyperspace in three minutes."

**:: ONE WEEK LATER ::**

Goten Son was squirming at the back of the helicopter. He was told by his mother and brother that today his father would return to be with them for a day. Chichi had always reminded him that he looked so much like his father --- hair, eyes, face and all. Except for age, height, body size and super saiyajin level, Goten was just like Goku himself.

His best friend, Trunks, sat down beside him though his anxiety was brought about by a different kind of excitement. He was finally going to compete in a tournament to test his skills, though his father, Vegeta, told him not to have too high expectations on the competitors. Goten might be his only match.

But Trunks didn't think of it that way. Goten was far younger, far weaker than he was. And he was sure to bring home the title as World Champion for the Junior Division. After all, he was sure he was stronger than Goten, and if Goten showed threatening signs there's always toys and candies he could offer in exchange for a victory. Not that Trunks thought Goten was that low a warrior, but that was just a mere safety precaution in case his strength fails him.

The two kids watched in awe as they stepped out of the copter and saw seas of people all over the place. They have never seen so many people in their lives, not even Trunks, the richest kid in the world. 

As they walked towards the registration table, Goten looked around uneasily. _Where could daddy be? I want to see him already..._

"Name please?"

Goten looked up at the registrar. "Goten Son."

The registrar took it down, called "Next!" and a heavily-built kid shoved Goten aside. Goten did not attempt to strike back --- not even when Trunks told him to, but he just went away instead. Trunks tried to follow his best friend but was instantly blocked by a couple of tough-looking kids, who were three to four years older than him.  
"What do you want?"

One of them ruffled his hair and grinned. "You're joining the Budokai, little one? What a pity. Your nice lavender hair will lose its gleam once your match is over."

Trunks just stood there, arms crossed over his chest, and then raised an eyebrow. "Really? I wouldn't bet on that if I were you. I could send you to the moon and back if I wished."

"Why you---"

The rest of the kids rolled up their sleeves, ready to defend their egos from Trunks' insults, courtesy of his ever-sharp tongue. "Boy, you have no right to insult us. Let's teach this kid a little lesson," one of them, the biggest, meanest-looking one, said, and took Trunks by his shirt.

Trunks merely smiled, and his fist went flying towards the boy's face, sending him meters away from Trunks. "Oops. I think that was too hard. I'm sorry," he said, turning to the others with a smirk.

They all scurried away in fear, in no time.

"Geez. What cowards. Now, where'd Goten go?"

A pair of bright blue eyes darted around the area as Videl and Gohan walked around the venue for the Tenkaichi Budokai, in search for something. She didn't know what that something was, but Gohan said it was a surprise for her and she wondered if it was a good or bad surprise. 

However, she could not help but feel very uneasy. After what happened the past week, how could she put her guard down? Gohan was nearly killed by this alien assassin. Gohan, who she found out to be the Golden Haired Warrior who beat Cell, who she found out to be one of the strongest people on Earth, was heavily injured and nearly exterminated. 

By a woman who, Gohan admitted, to be a whole lot powerful than Cell.

She was told not to worry for he'll start rigorous training once again to keep up with the years he lost in not training, but she could not help but worry. If she did not arrive, Gohan would merely be a memory in her head.

But what confused her was what _she_ had done. She did nothing, but the assassin ran off like some scared kid. She only looked into the enemy's eyes... and the once cold eyes she looked into were suddenly occupied with intense fear. She trembled... yes, the enemy trembled in fright! But there was nothing else Videl did. Just that one moment when their eyes met, and then, it was over. The enemy was gone.

Panic filled her thenafter. Gohan was bleeding and was in a severe condition. She was about to take him to the hospital when he told her to fly to a certain direction until she reaches this tower, and ask _senzu beans_ from the person in the tower named Korin.

And to her shock, Korin was not human, he was a talking _cat_ who walked on two legs.

She brought the beans back to Gohan, and after eating one, he was restored to full health. Was this one of the tricks his father meant when he narrated about the _idiots_ that attempted to fight Cell? But Gohan told her it was no trick. And when Gohan realized how he looked, he immediately powered down and his hair and eyes returned to their usual color.

But it was too late. Videl knew his deepest secret, and he had to explain everything in detail. And so he did. 

Saiyajin. Gohan was half-saiyajin. And because of having such powerful blood, Gohan was an extremely powerful warrior. After all, the Saiyajins were a feared, if not, a _dreaded_, race. 

She glanced at Gohan. Happy, goofy Son Gohan who was actually a toughie deep down inside. Gohan, who she knew as fun-loving and plain cheerful, had actually some sort of intense rage deep inside, and that rage gave him the power to defeat Cell. 

Gohan expected her to fear him, but she didn't. Instead, she felt closer to him than ever. Knowing his secrets was like becoming a part of his life. But was she? She considered Gohan special, but did he feel the same way for her? And the surprise, what was it? Would she finally be his?

Videl shook her head. This wasn't the time to think about her feelings. It wasn't the right time. Or maybe she just didn't want to think that Gohan did not feel anything for her. After all, he was flirting with that Kauri just before the assassin attacked.

_Are you jealous, Videl?_

"Shut up," she snapped to the voice inside of her, forgetting that Gohan was just walking right beside her. When the saiyajin inquired what was her outburst all about, she merely smiled. "It's nothing, Gohan. I'm sorry. I was just thinking of something. So... where's your surprise?"

"In a while, Videl. In a while," Gohan replied, when he stopped. He blinked for a couple of moments, as if trying to analyze something, and then, he turned to the confused Videl and smiled widely. "He's here! Let's go meet him!" he exclaimed as he took Videl by the hand and they ran.

"Is that him, Goten?" eight-year-old Trunks asked his best friend who was hiding behind Chichi's skirt and staring at the tall, muscular man who stood in front of them. The man had spiky black hair and equally dark eyes, and he was wearing an all-too-familiar fighting gi that made Trunks gaze from Goten to the mysterious man, and back to Goten. "Yup, that must be him. He looks just like you."

With that confirmation, Goten hid behind his mother's skirt even more, terrified and embarrassed at the same time. On the other hand, Goku was too occupied with all the _welcome backs_ from all his friends and comrades --- even a word or two from Vegeta himself --- to notice his youngest son. 

Then the time came for Chichi to introduce Goten to his father. However, before they could do so, they heard a loud yell and all eyes turned towards Gohan, who was running towards his father who had been gone for seven long years. "DADDY!" Gohan exclaimed as he let go of Videl's hand and rushed towards his father to encase him in a hug. "I missed you so much! It's been so long!"

"Gohan, my son!" Goku blurted out as soon as they hugged. When they pulled away, he ruffled his son's hair and said, "My, you've grown up a lot!"

"I know. After all, dad, it's been seven years," the younger Son replied with a smile, and then he brightened up even more as he turned towards Videl who was staring at Goku at the distance. "Umm... Videl... this is my dad, Goku. Dad, this is my classmate, Videl."

Videl had a _very_ confused look on her face as she continued to stare at Goku. She was interrupted, however, when Gohan waved his hand in front of her face and once again introduced her to Goku. Once he finished, however, she said, "Y-You said your father was... dead?"

A sheepish smile crossed Gohan's lips, and then he said, "Y-yeah, that's right. That's why he has that ring over his head, see?" He pointed towards the halo that floated on top of Goku's head. "It's a halo."

"What is the deal with you people?"

"Don't worry, Videl, you'll get used to it in time," Krillin pitched in with a sly grin. "Although Gohan must give you lessons on what to look out for first, lessons which you'll have to take when you're going to part of the family soon."

Both teenagers flushed noticeably at Krillin's statement, and when Gohan noticed that his little brother was still hiding behind Chichi, he knew that he would be the perfect distraction at the moment. "Hey dad," he called out as he turned away from the others who were now looking at him and Videl teasingly. "Have you met Goten?"

"Goten?" Goku asked, apparently confused. "Is he your new pet dinosaur, Gohan?"

Before Gohan could reply, however, a piece of metal banged powerfully against Goku's head, and he was rubbing the painful lump that was sitting on his head in no time. On the other hand, Chichi had a murderous look on her face as she snapped, "Goten's your _son_, dummy!"

Goku's eyes darted towards the little figure that crouched behind Chichi, who was trying his best to hide from the mysterious man who was actually his father. However, when he heard his name, he peeped from behind Chichi's skirt, only to see the man staring straight at him. Once again filled with embarrassment, Goten resumed hiding behind his mother, but then he was overcome by curiousity.

He moved a bit to peep at Goku once again, who, this time, had his arms wide open. Their eyes met, and those were all Goten needed to prove that the man was indeed his father. With a wide smile, he yelled, "DAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDYYYYYYYY!!" and ran towards his father's arms, arms that offered much love, protection and care.

"Goten, my son..."

"I missed you so much, daddy," Goten chirped as Goku positioned Goten on his shoulders. "And I love you so much!"

"So do I, Goten. So do I. I'm sorry if I haven't been around for you, but I want to let you know that I love you very much and I just want the best for you."

Chichi looked at Goku, then at Goten, then to Gohan, and then, to Videl. Afterwards, she turned to her father and a sly smile crept up to her features. Gyuu Mao was very confused at the way his daughter was acting, so he asked her what she was up to. Proudly, Chichi replied, "The family's complete, with Gohan's future wife to boot!" She paused to look at Videl and Gohan, and one thought that made her even happier popped into her head.

_Grandchildren!_

"Now this is strange," a man in a business-like overcoat blurted out softly as he stood alongside a young woman, his blue-black eyes darting around uneasily. "Kaioshin and Kibito are nowhere to be found, so are Yamu and Spopovitch. Could it be that... Babidi isn't here?"

The young woman looked at him and shrugged. "I don't know, but how could it possibly happen? He is supposed to be here, right? Unless our arrival triggered something, and now Majin Buu will never be released, which is a good thing."

"The question is... _how_? How could our arrival change the fact that Babidi is supposed to be here? We didn't encounter him in space or anything, and we didn't get to kill him either..."

"Maybe Fraulein did," Kauri pitched in helpfully. "I mean, I never knew that _she_ became an assassin, all I know is that she was exiled by Callista. Nothing more, nothing less. And since she founded a terror assassin group, she might have met up with Babidi in space and exterminated him before he even got here. I mean, things changed..."

Lucius Levenheit folded his arms in front of his chest and nodded. "Perhaps. Let's just hope that---" he abruptly stopped as he and his daughter both spun around towards the long line of competitors trying their luck in the punch machine. "Did you feel that?" he asked keeping his guard up.

"If you mean the split-second flicker of dark energy, then yes," Kauri replied as she looked around uneasily, examining every suspicious face and figure. "It's too familiar, and that's the scary part."

"Then we have no choice," he muttered with finality in his voice as he took off his formal overcoat to reveal the fighting gi he was wearing beneath. "If to check it out we'll have to join the tournament, then let's do it."

Quickly, as if in total excitement, Kauri removed her overcoat as well, and with a smirk, she told her father, "You just don't know how excited I am to participate in this tournament, dad! I sure am glad you changed your mind." She then followed her father's lead as they walked towards the long line of competitors, and when she spotted Videl waiting for her turn patiently, she smirked. "See you in the arena, Videl."

The Z-Team, on their way to watch the Junior Division matches, stopped to look at the results of the elimination round for the Senior Division that had just been posted on a bulletin board outside the arena. The rest of the competitors came to look at the results as well, but most of them were disappointed because only 16 made it --- and most of them were from the Z-Team.

"Dad, did you do something to tweak up the results?" Kauri asked as she looked at the results with her father from a distance, with a contented smile on her face, looking rather pleased. "You picked the right people for us to fight against!"

Lucius chuckled to himself, then said, "I wish I did, but I believe you are the psychic power person, not me." He then paused to look at Videl, then he turned back to his daughter. "However, are you sure you picked the right opponent? In my opinion, Juuhachigou would be a more worthy opponent for you --- among the women, that is."

"Come on, dad, I know what I'm doing," Kauri replied with a smug grin on her face, folding her arms at the same time. "I told her that I'm going to see her in the arena, and so I will. Besides, there are some things we need to settle, and those matters could possibly be settled during battle. In short, I'm going to have one very interesting match."

"And so will I," her father muttered in agreement, as a sly smile crept up to his lips when he saw who he was up against at the result board, which read:

**25TH TENKAICHI BUDOKAI  
Senior Division - Quarter Finals**

**Match 1:** Videl Satan VS Kauri Levenheit  
**Match 2:** Schulen Zander VS Zurko Kirkis  
**Match 3:** Goku Son VS Gohan Son  
**Match 4:** Mighty Mask VS Hercule Satan  
**Match 5:** Krillin VS Piccolo  
**Match 6:** Jubun Yuuki VS Riou Nakatsugawa  
**Match 7:** Vegeta VS Lucius Levenheit  
**Match 8:** Juuhachigou VS Akuma Birodo

When Lucius saw the competitors for the eighth match, however, his smile immediately flipped upside-down into a frown, and his eyes narrowed significantly as he whispered, "We better watch out for Akuma Birodo, though... I have a bad feeling about him..."


	5. Disturbing Signs

Author's Note: Awww, thanks for the heart-warming and inspiring reviews! I'm really glad that there are people who actually appreciate my work like you guys. =P So anyway, here's the new chapter, and I hope you enjoy!

Please review! And any... speculations... on how the match between Kauri and Videl will turn out, feel free to post them. I'd love to know what you guys think, because I'm still not that sure on how to conclude their battle.

**Renascimento  
**Chapter Four: Disturbing Signs  


Seven-year-old Goten swallowed hard as he climbed up the arena to meet his opponent for the Junior Division semi-final round. There were two things in the world that made him nervous: crowds and girls. And at the moment, he was facing both --- a huge crowd that was cheering wildly and a little girl with purple hair in pigtails.

"Nervous, Goten?" Keeney asked shyly as she shuffled her feet. She herself didn't like been watched by a lot of people, for she hated the feeling of being under surveillance. In fact, it seemed as though it was only Trunks who enjoyed attention, like the attention Goten and Keeney were both getting at the moment.

The spiky-haired chibi looked at the crowd uncomfortably, then turned back to Keeney and answered, "Well... kinda." He was about to add something when the announcer walked up in between them and gave them a short pep talk. The talk comprised of the words "take it easy", "be careful" and "she's a girl".

Then, their match began.

Goten began to panic when the start of their battle was announced, for he had no idea how to fight --- how to fight his best friend's sister. And the fact that she was a girl made the problem even worse. However, his thoughts were interrupted when Keeney's fist hit him right on the face, and it sent him flying towards the ground and landing with a loud THUMP.

"Did you see that, Kakkarot?!" Vegeta exclaimed as he burst into triumphant laughter. "Your brat dropped to the ground like a rag doll at my brat's punch! It only shows how weak your spawns are!"

On the other hand, Bulma was sticking her tongue out at Chichi, who was yelling frantically at Goten, telling him to get up and fight. With a smirk, Vegeta's mate said, "Looks like Goten won't even get the chance to fight Trunks in the championship! After all, Keeney's in the way."

"THAT'S WHAT YOU THINK!" Chichi yelled at Bulma in full force, then resumed cheering for her son, who was down but not beaten. "GOTEN! YOU CAN DO IT! GET UP NOW AND SHOW THAT GIRL WHAT YOU'RE REALLY MADE OF!"

When Keeney noticed that Goten had been down for some time already, she immediately began to panic, and she rushed to Goten with hopes that the latter didn't get killed by her punch. She told herself that it was a bizarre idea, but she also told herself that anything can happen in battle. With much concern, she knelt down by Goten's side and attempted to help the demi-saiyajin up, when a strong gust of wind knocked her off her feet as Goten took off, and she was sent flying towards the ledge of the arena.

She was falling, and she flung her arms up and about in desperation to regain her balance. What happened next was very fast and the next thing she knew, she was out of the arena. All she remembered was Goten's cheerful face flashing in front of her, a soft but sincere "I'm sorry" and a slight push that made her fall off the arena.

Goten Son had qualified for the championship.

"KAAAAAAAAAAKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKAAAARRROOOOOTTTTTTT!!" Vegeta bellowed as he took the saiyajin by his fighting gi, and he started shaking the clueless Goku in fury. "SHIMATTA! YOU AND THOSE BLASTED HYBRID BRATS OF YOURS! THAT WASN'T FAIR!"

"Five kicks in the gut that Goten wins," Kauri blurted out with a smug grin as she and her father prepared to watch the final match for the Junior Division. Trunks passed the semi-final round without trouble, and now the time had come for the much-awaited showdown of power.

Lucius folded his arms in front of his chest, and then replied, "Five kicks in the gut that Trunks wins." And then, he chuckled. "You better prepare yourself for the punishment, Kauri. It's written in the stars, Trunks is going to win this match. Goten's going to cheat by transforming when he isn't supposed to, but Trunks will beat him later on with the use of just one hand. You'll see."

"Oh come on, dad! Do you still actually believe in those _written in the stars_ stuff?" she asked, and then a different emotion took over. With a pained look on her face, she looked away. "I don't believe in those any longer, for I don't think that it was written in the stars that the Z-Senshi will fall just like that. It's... not fair."

"Life isn't fair. It never was, and it never will be. Because things happen, things that we cannot explain, things we cannot understand. And that's the inevitable truth. That's something we cannot deny, because it's true. It has been proven time and again. Life isn't fair. It had never been fair."

"Not bad, Goten! You've managed to get a lot better in just that short time," Trunks commented as he stopped his first round of punches and kicks on his best friend, who did an excellent exchange with him. The exchange of attacks was so breathtaking that both Goku and Vegeta were beaming in total pride.

The younger saiyajin giggled as he replied, "Big brother taught me a lot."

"Well, can you do this?" the lavender-haired saiyajin blurted out as he started charging up a Kikoha blast, which scared most of the Z-Senshi who were watching their battle. 

In fact, the usually calm and composed Gohan backed off slightly with wide eyes as he blurted out, "D-Don't tell me he's going to launch a Kikoha blast from there?!"

"I-It'll blow up the spectator's souls!" Krillin shrieked as well.

"Trunks, don't do anything stupid!"

However, Goku turned to them with a calm expression and told them to just calm down. "Nah, it'll be okay. He realizes that much. You've got to give him more credit."

And Goku was right. Trunks threw a Kikoha blast at Goten who evaded it, but before the blast would hit the spectators, Trunks pulled it up just in time, which sent the Z-Team admiring in awe. At such an early age, Trunks learned to control ki-blasts the right way. But if there was one thing they didn't like about Trunks, it was his cockyness. With a smirk, he looked at his best friend and exclaimed, "How's that? Pretty cool, huh?"

"I can do that too!" Goten blurted out as he shifted his stance, determined to show Trunks that the latter wasn't the only one capable of firing and controlling ki-blasts. "I just... barely had it taught to me though. Watch this!"

Everyone turned their attention on the seven-year-old saiyajin, most especially his father, Goku, who had not seen Goten fight as vigorously as he had in the past few minutes. When the child cupped his hands together, the Z-Team knew that he was going to attempt to do a Kamehameha. 

Gohan, however, was shocked at this, for he did not remember teaching Goten how to do the technique right. And it only meant one thing. Disaster. Goten was trying to perform a technique that he had NEVER done before.

"Ka-me-_ka_-me---"

Vegeta's son burst into uncontrolled laughter as he heard the other warrior chant. "Goten, you baka! It's Ka-me-HA-me-ha! You don't even know how to say it---"

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The blast came flying towards Trunks, who merely tilted his head to the side to let the blast pass. Goten tried to pull the blast up, but to no avail, and it hit the roof of the arena's waiting room. Trunks looked at Goten and shook his head in disappointment, while the younger kid stared at the mess he made, not knowing what to do.

"That was close," Goten said as he rubbed the back of his head in the usual Son fashion.

Everytime Goten rendered Trunks a good blow, Kauri would turn to her father and stick her tongue out to simply annoy him. Lucius, however, just kept his cool because he was very sure that there was nothing Goten could do to dish enough damage on Trunks to beat him. He stood by the railings, calm and very composed, not saying a word as he watched the ongoing battle between the two demi-saiyajins.

When Goten transformed, however, he cocked his head to the side slightly and muttered, "There it was. The sign."

Kauri replied, "I don't care about those stupid signs of yours. Goten will win and I _feel_ it."

"Trunks will win and I _know_ it."

She did not reply at that, but instead she turned her attention back to the fiery match between the two little boys. To Lucius' surprise, she suddenly commented, "How in the world could a friendship as strong as that be simply destroyed?! I don't understand how things just changed between them..."

It was Lucius, this time, who did not reply. He looked away, his soft blue eyes flickering with both sadness and anger that he was trying to lock back up in some place where they could not break free.

Realizing her mistake, Kauri made a mental note to herself not to mention anything about friendship ever again --- not when it concerned Trunks and Goten. She decided to shift to another topic, since her father's silent gesture disturbed her greatly, even if the arena was thundering with cheers and applauses. "Dad, when are we going to ask help from Grandma? We need her to build us a time machine as soon as possible --- what if Thanatos already blasted our world into oblivion? We still have a future to shape up, you said it yourself."

"After the tournament," he replied not taking his eyes off the two chibis in combat. "Things have been going differently ever since our arrival, and I want to know what we did wrong so we can fix things up. We not supposed to be here, remember? So this time should flow as it really should."

Kauri looked at him as if he was insane. "Even Buu?!"

"Even Buu."

"I knew it right from the start, you are one crazy old man," she told him with a slight smirk.

"And you are one crazy little girl," he countered. Before Kauri could return the favor, however, he saw Goten dive-bomb towards Trunks, and he immediately told his daughter that the match was about to come to an end.

Goten flew out of the ring, and towards the bleachers---

But before his feet actually touched the bleacher, he skidded to a halt, and at that, Goten immediately did a sharp turn towards the skies in preparation for another _Totsugekki_ attack.

It was then when every muscle in Lucius' body froze. Something, something indeed, had gone terribly wrong, because an event as minor as the Junior Division championship match turned out differently from what was supposed to happen. However, the bad feeling Lucius had was not because of the perception that they caused the change, but that something --- someone, rather --- caused the twist of fate.

"He's here," he whispered in a barely audible voice, although he was still trying to keep his composure. After all, if Thanatos was indeed present, then he would be able to sense the two runaway warriors just by Lucius' emotions. A short moment after Lucius let those words out, Kauri's eyes widened in surprise and she began jumping around, yelling, "I WIN! I WIN! I WIN!" as the crowd applauded and howled for the new Junior Division champion. Apparently, Lucius' words were completely drowned in the deafening noise because not even his daughter noticed that he actually said something. She was too happy with her victory on their little bet. "Alright, dad, it's time for you to pay the price!"

The other did not move, however.

"Oh come on, dad! Be a sport! Goten won and there's nothing you can do to change that! I knew it! I knew it! I knew Goten was going to win!" Kauri exclaimed with a giggle.

"I have a bad feeling about this. A _very_ bad feeling about this."

She folded her arms in front of her chest in an annoyed fashion, but then her eyes grew concerned shortly after. "Dad, you worry too much. That's the thing I do not like about you. You don't have Grandpa's arrogance or his streak of evilness --- if you can call it that --- but you certainly have Grandma's attitude of worrying too much. Worrying is good, but they say too much of something is the complete opposite."

Her father opened his mouth to say something, when he saw a raven-haired girl approach them with an all-too-familiar young man, he turned to Kauri, smiled softly and just said, "I think they're here to see you."

And with that, he walked away, apparently disturbed.

Kauri followed him with her eyes, which now held more concern than ever. He was indeed worried about something, although what that really was, she didn't know. She knew that the result of the match between Trunks and Goten affected him greatly, but the question was... _Why?_

As she felt Gohan and Videl inch closer towards her, she spun around to greet them, putting her happy-go-lucky mask back in place. The teenage demi-saiyajin wasn't fooled, however, because he immediately shot her a questioning look edged with concern.

Kauri just shook her head in reply to his silent inquiry, and then turned to Videl as if nothing happened. "So... are you ready for our match? I know that you've been training double-time with Gohan, so I'll be expecting a lot from you. See you around."

And with that, she left to catch up with her father.

"I just hate her guts, I just SO hate her guts," Videl commented in a very exasperated fashion as she followed Kauri with narrowed eyes. "Wait and see, Levenheit, you're going to see what I'm really made of. I'm not just a martial artist by name, and that's what I'm going to show you."

_I just hope you'll last long enough_, Kauri thought as she smirked.


End file.
